Sites of Interest

Shameless bleg on behalf of my cat’s comfort.

**I’ve been informed that the link below doesn’t work. I tried it myself, and it appears to just be borked. However, the link to the left still works, as far as I know, and if you want to make a donation via PayPal without clicking links, just go to the site and enter squeaky.wheel.seeks.grease@gmail.com as the recipient of any funds. Thank you.**

Right now, there are several reasons I’m having financial difficulties. Some of them are my fault (credit card debt obtained while married, as well as student loan debt because I chose the university I attended based on factors other than finances), while others are out of my control (Lyme, basically, and all the fun that comes with it).

The folks who want to help me in my family can’t, and the ones who can, don’t. I’m not sure why on the latter, but the point is, I have no safety net for even myself.

I have that donation button up there, and NO ONE has hit it to help with my treatment. Seriously – not one person. I’m not sure why, but I’m not angry about it. It’s not like I’m posting riveting things all the time that would compel people to pay me.

However, at this point, I’m writing this post out of the sort of desperation that only a pet owner/lover can have.

You may remember my cat, Dammit, who decided to rip his claw out a couple of years ago?

Well, since my divorce, he’s been living with my mom, and while his triaditis (inflammation of the liver, intestines, and pancreas) has slowed him down a bit, he’s usually pretty cheerful.

Except, of course, when I take a million photos of him while he’s trying to sleep. Sorry, buddy.

He started not acting like his usual, ridiculous self lately, and so my mom took him to the vet for bloodwork.

He’s in renal failure, right now. They don’t know how far it’s progressed (cats generally don’t show signs of sickness until it’s at the point where they need immediate intervention, or they’ll die – a lot of animals do that, so as not to appear weak to possible predators), but they vet has basically given him one of those timelines that’s anywhere from a few weeks to a few years, depending on how well he responds to fluids.

My mom’s giving him subcutaneous fluid right now, and they’re going to follow up in two weeks to see if he’s improved. Basically, all of the levels they tested which indicate kidney function are completely awful and way too high.

My usually-gregarious cat is hiding in a closet most of the time because he doesn’t feel well.

I have one wish: I want to see him before the inevitable happens. I saw him in April (that’s when the photo was taken…he’s in St. Louis, I was there for the convention, I had a camera…blahblah), and he looked fine, but he was noisier than I remember him being. It’s possible he was sick, even then. We have no clue.

Anyway, seeing as how I work a few days a week, for basically enough money to barely pay my bills and keep some gas in the car to get me to and from work, getting up to see him is going to be difficult. Forrest has, as usual, been great about planning and offering to take me there in two weeks, but I want to be ready to go when my mom calls me to tell me it’s “time” – and that could actually be any day, depending on how well he responds to fluids, and if he’ll eat something (if he doesn’t eat, his liver will fail, and that IS painful, even if renal failure is purported to not be).

One person donated, unasked, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if anyone else could help. Any money not used for gas to get up there is going to be used to help reimburse my mom for Dammit’s blood tests and care.

The bottom line is that while he’s 12 years old, and that’s a good run for a cat whose primary purpose on this Earth seems to have been finding new and interesting ways to injure himself or get sick, I’m not willing to let go until I see him.

I have left instructions for my mom to have him put down should he show extreme discomfort, because I’m not a monster. If he can’t live comfortably, I’m not going to drag that out.

However, if he can make it long enough, I’m REALLY wanting to see him.

If you can donate, awesome. If you can’t, awesome. I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

So, click that if you’re so inclined. I’d be much obliged, and if nothing else, you’re going to be helping him to “move on” comfortably.
Thank you.
-Bnnie

Just FYI, Mom is on disability, and while Dammit is totally worth what it costs, Mom still has other expenses, like food for herself. I’d say for the other cats too, except that Gary has gained weight from cleaning up after Dammit. He looks like a furry orange watermelon, and weighs more.
So thank you for ALL your consideration.